Spooky season is upon us, and when it comes to dishing out the scares Modern Warfare really isn’t playing around. Last night the game’s Halloween event The Haunting of Verdansk went live, and it’s safe to say players are feeling suitably haunted and scared. Or I am, at least.
The centrepiece of this update is, of course, limited time mode Zombie Royale – a variation of Warzone in which players become zombies when they die, but have a chance to return as a human if they kill enough “living” players. These aren’t just your normal stumbling zombies, however, as they come armed with EMP blasts and gas grenades, can see the location of humans and their footprints, and boast a terrifying jump ability – making it all too easy for them to get on your roof. The final circles end up being particularly manic, with zombies coming from all directions (including the gas) and grenades making the whole thing spectacularly chaotic.
All this takes place on a night mode version of the Verdansk map, and this is where players are really getting some shocks. The event comes with a bunch of free Halloween rewards which can be found in supply boxes dotted around the map, but the catch is these are trick-or-treat themed… with the tricks being terrifying jumpscares. “I screamed like I’ve never screamed before,” said one unfortunate victim on the Modern Warfare subreddit. And here’s a look at a jumpscare in action: